independentrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
Children of God now, and the purifying hope 3:1–3
v. 1 — behold what love: called children of God, and we are
1
Ἴδετε ποταπὴν ἀγάπην δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ πατὴρindependent — the exclamation — ποταπήν, of what astonishing kind
ἵνα τέκνα θεοῦ κληθῶμεν,content — epexegetic ἵνα — the love defined by its result: adoption
καὶ ἐσμέν.independent — the indicative breaks in — not called only, we ARE (the critical text’s καὶ ἐσμέν)
διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶςindependent — the corollary — unrecognized children in an unrecognizing world
ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν.cause — the world’s ignorance of us rooted in its ignorance of him
vv. 2–3 — children now; what we shall be; the purifying hope
2
Ἀγαπητοί, νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν,independent — the νῦν — the status already real
καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθηindependent — the οὔπω — the status real, its form still hidden
τί ἐσόμεθα.content — indirect question — the unrevealed future
οἴδαμενindependent — the community’s settled knowledge
ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇconditional — the protasis carries the ὅτι of the content clause below; ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ‘whenever he (or it) is manifested’
ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα,content — the content — likeness at his appearing
ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸνcause — the seeing transforms — the vision makes like
καθώς ἐστιν.comparative — καθώς ἐστιν — as he is, no longer veiled
3
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἁγνίζει ἑαυτὸνindependent — the hope’s ethical pull — ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, the hope rests on him
καθὼς ἐκεῖνος ἁγνός ἐστιν.comparative — ἐκεῖνος — Christ the standard of purity
The children of God and the children of the devil 3:4–10
vv. 4–6 — sin is lawlessness; he appeared to take sins away
4
Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ,independent — the lattice opens — πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν, the habitual doer
καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία.independent — the equation — article on both sides: sin IS lawlessness
5
καὶ οἴδατεindependent — appeal to shared knowledge
ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθηcontent — the first ἐφανερώθη — the incarnation stated by its purpose
ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἄρῃ,purpose — αἴρω — to remove, bear off (cf. John 1:29)
καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν.independent — the sinless one — possibly still within the ὅτι, here set as John’s own assertion
6
πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ μένων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει·independent — durative present — abiding excludes continuing in sin
πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ἔγνωκεν αὐτόν.independent — the converse — perfects: no vision, no knowledge
vv. 7–10 — of God or of the devil: the doing tells
7
Τεκνία, μηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑμᾶς·independent — the pastoral warning — against the deceivers of 2:26
ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην δίκαιός ἐστιν,independent — the test — doing, not claiming
καθὼς ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστιν·comparative — ἐκεῖνος again — Christ the measure
8
ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν,independent — the counter-verdict — paternity shown by practice
ὅτι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει.cause — ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς — the devil’s sinning is original and unbroken
εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ,independent — the second ἐφανερώθη — εἰς τοῦτο pointing forward
ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου.purpose — λύω — to undo, demolish; the ἵνα unpacks εἰς τοῦτο
9
Πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ,independent — the perfect γεγεννημένος — an abiding state from a past begetting
ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει,cause — σπέρμα — God’s seed (his life, word, Spirit) remains in the begotten
καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν,independent — οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν — the durative present: cannot go on sinning; not sinless perfection (cf. 1:8–2:1)
ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.cause — the ground repeated — birth from God is decisive
10
ἐν τούτῳ φανερά ἐστιν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου·independent — the section’s verdict — two families, made visible
πᾶς ὁ μὴ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,independent — the negative test
καὶ ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.phrase modifier — the second subject, sharing the verb — love named at last: the hinge to vv. 11–18
Love one another — not as Cain 3:11–18
vv. 11–13 — the message from the beginning, and the negative exemplar
11
Ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελίαindependent — ὅτι — grounding v. 10: love of the brother was the charge all along
ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς,relative — ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς — the original gospel word
ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους·content — epexegetic ἵνα — the message’s content
12
οὐ καθὼς Κάϊν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἦνcomparative — compressed comparative — ‘not as Cain, (who) was of the evil one’; the devil’s first child (Gen 4)
καὶ ἔσφαξεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ·comparative — σφάζω — the butcher’s word, coordinate within the καθώς clause
καὶ χάριν τίνος ἔσφαξεν αὐτόν;independent — the diatribe question
ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν,cause — the answer — righteousness provokes hatred
τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια.cause — the second limb, verbless — the contrast that killed
13
καὶ μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελφοί,independent — the letter’s one ἀδελφοί address
εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.conditional — backward εἰ, nearly ὅτι — the hatred a fact, not a hypothesis; the world is Cain’s kin
vv. 14–15 — passed from death to life
14
ἡμεῖς οἴδαμενindependent — emphatic ἡμεῖς — we, unlike the hating world
ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν,content — μεταβεβήκαμεν — perfect: the crossing already made (cf. John 5:24)
ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς·cause — evidential ὅτι — the loving is how we know, not why we passed
ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ.independent — the converse — death as residence
15
πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν,independent — hatred is Cain’s deed in seed (cf. Mt 5:21–22)
καὶ οἴδατεindependent — appeal to the known
ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν.content — μένουσαν — no abiding life where death is dealt
vv. 16–18 — the measure of love: a life laid down
16
ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην,independent — ἐν τούτῳ pointing forward — love defined by an event
ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν·content — ἐκεῖνος — the cross as love’s definition (τὴν ψυχὴν τιθέναι, John 10:11)
καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι.independent — the inference — ὀφείλομεν, debt-language
17
ὃς δ’ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμουconditional — indefinite relative as protasis — the chain leans on the question below
καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχονταconditional — θεωρῇ — watches, with the need in full view
καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ,conditional — τὰ σπλάγχνα — closes his compassion
πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;independent — the apodosis a question — from martyrdom (v. 16) down to withheld goods
18
Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃindependent — the section’s close — hortatory
ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.phrase modifier — the true register of love — ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ
Assurance before God, and his commandment 3:19–24
vv. 19–22 — quieting the condemning heart
19
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθαindependent — ἐν τούτῳ — by love in deed (v. 18)
ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν,content — the pedigree known from the practice
καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν,independent — πείσομεν — persuade, quiet the heart in God’s own presence
20
ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία,conditional — the protasis carries the first ὅτι — leaning on the ground below
ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.cause — the notorious double ὅτι — the second read as resumptive of the first after the protasis (‘because… — because, I say — God is greater’); his greater knowledge quiets the verdict rather than sharpening it
21
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ,conditional — the counter-case — protasis with the address attached
παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν,independent — παρρησία — free speech before God
22
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμενconditional — ὃ ἐάν — relative protasis, leaning on the apodosis below
λαμβάνομεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ,independent — the apodosis — asking within the family
ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμενcause — not merit but alignment — obedience keeps the asking inside his will
καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.cause — τὰ ἀρεστά — the coordinate second ground
vv. 23–24 — the commandment, and the mutual abiding
23
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ,independent — the letter’s double command gathered into one ἐντολή
ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦcontent — epexegetic ἵνα — faith first
καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,content — and love — one commandment, two faces
καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν.comparative — καθώς — per Christ’s own command (John 13:34)
24
καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένειindependent — obedience and abiding entwined
καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ·phrase modifier — the mutual abiding — verbless reciprocal
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομενindependent — the assurance formula once more
ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν,content — the content — his abiding in us
ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.phrase modifier — resuming ἐν τούτῳ — the Spirit as the evidence; the letter’s first πνεῦμα, the bridge to 4:1
Analysis. First John 3 reads as a lattice of flush-left purple verdicts: the πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν / πᾶς ὁ μένων / πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων / πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος participle-subjects stand at the margin one after another, each carrying its sentence in a single stroke, while the hanging lines beneath them are almost all of two kinds — green ἵνα purposes (he appeared to take away sins, to undo the devil’s works; the message and the commandment both defined by epexegetic ἵνα) and tan ὅτι grounds (the world knew him not; the devil sins from the beginning; his seed abides; we love the brothers). Olive protases lean forward three times: the nested ἐὰν φανερωθῇ inside v. 2’s ὅτι-content, the three-link ὃς δ’ ἂν chain of v. 17 poised over its πῶς-question, and the paired ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ / ἐὰν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ of vv. 20–21. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: v. 1’s καὶ ἐσμέν is set flush as an indicative interruption of the ἵνα clause; v. 5’s καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν is set as John’s own assertion rather than continued ὅτι-content; v. 9’s οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν is read with the durative present — the one begotten of God cannot go on sinning as a practice, not that he never sins (1:8–2:1); v. 14’s second ὅτι is evidential (the loving is how we know we have passed, not the cause of the passing); and v. 20’s double ὅτι is resolved by letting the protasis carry the first ὅτι and reading the second as its resumption — ‘because, if our heart condemns us, (because, I say,) God is greater than our heart’ — taken as reassurance: the all-knowing God overrules the condemning heart.